Control switch



Nv. 27, 1934. A. J. A. PETERSON CONTROL SWITCH Filed May 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4f" er 254g 44 77315. 45 42 4/25 j 11 y 1 l N0v.27, 1934. A, J, A PgTERSON 1,982,321

CONTROL SWITCH trol switch that vshall control the operating de- Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-*FICE CONTROL SWITCH Application May 16, 1931, Serial No. 537,819

8 Claims.

My invention relates to control switches and `particularly to switches for controlling the operation of heavy-duty circuit breakers or other ap- Daratus.

An object of my invention is to provide a convices and pilot lamp of a heavy-duty circuit breaker, or other electrical apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to provide a control switch wherein the operating handle is returned to an intermediate or neutral position by certain of the switches and wherein standard single-throw and double-throw switches may be utilized.

A further object of my invention is to provide a control switch that may be installed upon a switchboard panel by inserting it through an opening in the panel, and that will enable the` connection of conductors thereto before the switch is installed and while located in front of the panel and that will enable the connection of `the conductor terminals from a point above the switch, thereby facilitating manipulation ofthe terminals without necessitating removal of the switch from the panel.

A further object of my invention is to provide a control switch having the above noted characteristics that shall be provided with insulating covers which may be inserted between the switch frame and the walls of the opening in the switchboard panel for retaining the covers in assembled position. A

A further object of my invention is to provide a control switch wherein the switch structure is supported upon a supporting plate that shall be secured to the front face of the switchboard panel, and that shall be provided with a displaceable cover yieldingly retained in operative position by the operating handle and may be displaced by rotating it about the operating shaft of the switch for exposing the means whereby shown in Fig. 2, the top portion of the cover being removed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the control switch, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the switchsupporting plate and its cover, showing the cover in displaced position for exposing the attaching screws which secure the supporting plate to the switchboard panel.

Referring to the drawings, the control switch includes a supporting frame 'I that comprises a pair of end plates 8 and 9 of cup-shape which are connected and retained in spaced aligned positions by means of a pair of side-frame members l1. Three tumbler-type switches 12, 13 and 14 are mounted, as indicated in Fig. 4, upon the frame members 11, the switch 14 being shown in elevation in Fig. 4 and is representative of the construction of the switches 12 and 13, with the exception that the switch 14 is of the doublethrow type and is provided with two sets of contacts instead of one.

The switch 14 comprises a pressed-metal supporting base 15 having brackets 16 that are attached to the frame plates 11 by means of screws 17. The base 15 is of U-shape, and the side plates 18 thereof extend at right angles to the base and are attached to the legs 19 of an insulating member 21 that is of inverted U-shape and fits between the plates 18. to which the member is secured by screws 22.

Pairs of contact members 23 and 24 are mounted on opposite sides of the insulating supporting member and are provided with terminal screws 25 for attaching conductors thereto. A bridging roller-contact 26 is mounted for oscillation within the space 27 between the vertical arms of the insulating member, the roller being adapted to bear against an arcuate surface 28 on the insulating member 21.

The bridging roller-contact 26 is rotatably mounted upon a switch-arm 29 that is bifurcated to provide a slot 31 for receiving a pin 32 carried on the end of an operating arm 33 that is pivotaily mounted for movement above a pivot shaft 34 carried by the base 15. The spring 35 on the switch-arm 29 is disposed between a collar 36 on the arm and the pin 32. When the armA 33 is moved toward the left (Fig. 4) the spring is compressed and, when the pin 32 moves past a center line through the bridging roller-contact 26 and the pivot shaft 34, the end of the switch-arm, carrying the roller-contact, is moved toward the right, with a snap action, into engagement with the pair of contacts 24.

The operating arm 33 is actuated by means of a bail 37, having a lost-motion connection to the operating arm through outwardly turned fingers 38 on the outer end of the arm, as indicated in Fig. 4. The switch structure just described, with the exception of the lost-motion connection for the operating arm and the operating bail, is well known in the art and forms no part of the invention, and, consequently, further description of the details of its construction is unnecessary.

The switches 12 and 13 are of the single-throw type and are provided with contacts 39 and 41 that are mounted on opposite sides of the insulating support member 21, as indicated in Fig. 3, the latter contacts being provided with attaching screws 42 and the former with attaching screws 44. It will be noted that the contacts 41 extend across the upper portion of the switch and into a position aligned with the contact 39 where it will be engaged by the bridging roller-contact 45 which serves to conductively connect the contacts 41 and 39 of their respective switches. It will be further noted that the switches 12 and 13 while identical in construction are reversely positioned relatively and consequently are moved to their closed positions respectively by movement of their respective operating arms in opposite directions. The switches 12 and 13 are provided with springs 46 (Fig. l) that are wound about their pivot shafts 34 and so connected to the base 15 and the operating arm 33 that they bias the operating arm toward open position and will return the operating arm to the open position after each closing operation thereof.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating arms of the switches 12 and 13 are also provided with fingers 38 which provide a lost-motion connecton between the operating arm 33 and operating bail 37.

The operating bail 37 is rotatively journaled within the bearing openings 47 and 48 in the endplates 8 and 9 and is provided with an operating handle 49.

Assuming that the switches occupy the positions indicated in= Figures 2 and 3 wherein the contact roller 26 of the double-throw switch 14 is in engagement with the contacts 24 and that the bridging roller-contacts 45 of the switches 12 and 13 are in their respective open circuit positions, clockwise rotation of the operating bail 37, viewing Fig. 5, will cause the roller contact 26 to move into engagement with the contacts 23. At this time, because of the lost motion connection of the operating arm-33 to the operating bail 37, no motion will be imparted to the roller contact of the switch 13, but the contact arm oi the switch 12 will be moved by the bail to the closed circuit position which causes movement of the roller contact of that switch into engagement with the contacts 39 and 41 thereof.

Counter-clockwise movement of the operating handle 49 reverses the operation' just described and returns the roller-contact of the doublethrow switch 14 into engagement with the contacts 24. The roller-contact of the switch 13 is, at the same time, momentarily moved into engagement with its respective contacts 39 and 41.

It will be understood that the switches, constituting the control switch, are connected to the control circuits of the circuit breaker in such manner that when one of the switches 13 or 14 is momentarily closed the circuit breaker controlled thereby is either caused to open or close,

as the case may be and that the pilot lamp indcating the position of the circuit breaker is energized through the operation of the circuit breaker. No claim is made to any specific circuits to which the control switch is applicable, and the switch may be used in a large variety of circuits for accomplishing different results.

A flat rectangular attaching plate 57 is secured to the end plate 8 of the control switch and is provided with openings 58, Fig. 4, for receiving attaching screws 59, for the purpose of attaching the control switch to a switchboardpanel 60. It will be understood that the panel 60 is provided with a circular opening 61 of slightly larger diameter than that of the cylindrical endplates, in order to provide space into which the inner ends of the sections 62 and 63 of a cylindrical cover may be inserted for the purpose of retaining them in assembled position. The cover sections are made of insulating material and when in operative position, constitute a closed cylinder for inclosing the switch mechanism and terminals of the control switch. The outer ends of the cover sections 62 and 63 are retained in assembled position upon the control switch by means of screws 64 that are threaded into the end plate 9.

The cover is so made that the upper section 62 may be removed for obtaining access to the terminal screws 25, 42 and` 44. The conductors, not shown, enter the switch housings through an opening 65 in the end plate 9.

A face-plate 66 having flanges 67, conforming in contour to the edges of the attaching plate 57, serves to completely cover the plate 57 and the attaching screws 59. The face-plate may be provided with any preferred form of decoration such as is indicated in Fig. 5 and is yieldingly retained in operative position by the operating handle 449, through the medium of a spring 68 which surrounds the operating bail 37, and is disposed between a washer 69 xed thereon, and the end-plate 8. The spring forces the bail toward the left and presses the handle against the face-plate. The bail 37 is mounted in the end walls 8 and 9 for rotary and limited longitudinal movement which permits of longitudinal displacement of the baill and handle toward the right, sufcient distance to permit the ange 67 of the plate 66 to clear the edges of the attaching plate 57. The face-plate 66 may be rotated into the position shown in Fig. 5, or other angular positions which permit of access to the attaching screws 59. After the switch has been attached to the panelboard, the face-plate 66 is rotated about the journal or the operating bail 37 until it is snapped into operative position by the movements of the bail 37 toward the left by the spring 68, which normally biases the bail 37 toward the left. Thus a simple form of face-plate is provided which requires no unsightly screws for retaining it in operative position.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a simple, compact and rugged control switch for controlling circuit breakers and other electrical apparatus that may be readily assembled upon a switchboard panel and which is rendered accessible for connection to the electric conductors associated therewith by simply removing the top cover.

It is further apparent that I have provided 145 a control switch wherein a cover plate, having artistic merit, may be attached to the switchboard without necessitating the use of screws, which, at best, detract from the appearance of the switchboard.

While I have illustrated but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modiilcations, and substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a double-throw switch and an operating member therefor having a lost motion connection thereto for moving the switch to either of its two operating positions `and permitting the return of the operating member to its neutral or intermediate position independently of the double throw switch, of a pair of switches each biased toward its open position and engaging the operating member i'or returning it to its intermediate position, the said second switches being reversely disposed whereby one second switch is moved to closed position when the operating member moves the double throw switch to one loi.' its operating positions, and whereby the other second switch is moved to its closed position when the operating member moves the double throw 'the second switches to a neutral orintermediate position.

3. The combination with a pair of swi'hes movable in opposite directions to open position and having means for normally biasing the switches to open position, of an operating member for separately moving the switches to closed a pail of switches movable in opposite directions to closed position and having a lost-motion connection to the operating member, means for normally yieldingly moving the switches to open position and for moving the operating member to its intermediate position, and a double throwswitch having a lost motion connection to the operating member whereby movement oi the operating member to its respective operating position moves the double throw switch to its operative closed position.

5. The combination with a double throw switch and a pair of switches movable to two positions each of which is normally biased in opposite directions, o! an operating member for the switches having a lost-motion connection thereto and separately movable by the second switches to a neutral or intermediate position.

6. The combination with two switches movable to two positions and which are normally biased in opposite directions, of an operating member for the switches having a lost motion connection thereto and separately movable thereby to a neutral or intermediate position.

7. The combination with two switches movable' to two positions and which are normally biased in opposite directions to one of said positions, of an operating member for the switches movable thereby to a neutral or intermediate position.

8. 'I'he combination with a pair of switches movable in opposite directions and having means for normally biasing the switches in opposite directions, of an operating member for separately actuating the switches when it is moved from an intermediate position in either of two opposite directions, said operating member having a lost-motion connection to the switches whereby the operating member is biased to its intermediate position.

ALFRED J. A. PETERSON. 

